Why This Short Film "DON'T BE LATE MYRA" Is Getting Oscar Buzz

AFIA NATHANIEL - DON’T BE LATE, MYRA Short Film My guest today is Pakistani-American filmmaker Afia Nathaniel to discuss her Oscar-qualified short, DON’T BE LATE, MYRA.  Drawing from her own lived experiences and her perspective as a survivor, Afia transforms trauma into bold, cinematic storytelling that confronts patriarchy and sparks vital dialogue about children’s safety in Pakistan and around the world.  With her acclaimed debut feature Dukhtar (Pakistan’s official submission to the 87th Academy Awards), which was groundbreaking work in both Pakistan and Hollywood. But it’s her newest short film, the gripping short film Don’t Be Late, Myra marking a milestone in Afia Nathaniel's return to telling stories from Pakistan. Don’t Be Late, Myra is both a survival thriller and an unflinching commentary on the silence surrounding child harassment and abuse in Pakistan and beyond. Ladies and gentlemen, Afia Nathaniel’s short film DON’T BE LATE, MYRA is set against the bustling streets of Lahore, the film follows 10-year-old Myra, who, after missing her school van, is forced to walk home alone.  Navigating harassment and menace on her way, Myra faces a quiet but escalating danger that exposes the vulnerabilities children endure in public spaces. With its urgent pacing and raw emotional undercurrent, Don’t Be Late, Myra is both a survival thriller and an unflinching commentary on the silence surrounding child harassment in Pakistan and beyond. Deeply personal in its origins, the film draws on Afia’s own childhood experiences and her perspective as a survivor of assault. By transforming trauma into urgent art, she brings visibility to an issue often silenced by patriarchy, sparking essential conversations about children’s safety and the cultural taboos that endanger them. DON’T BE LATE, MYRA left me deeply disturbed and shaken. Children all over the world are enduring childhood harassment and abuse and it shouldn’t be that way.  This is a film that should be shown before the United Nations, because of it’s very powerful and emotional storytelling.  Afia’s knows how to tell a story with small nuances and subtleties that will have a profound effect on the audience. It’s no wonder her film is a multi-film festival award winner and is now in the running for the 98th Academy Awards.